Steve, when it comes to clients saying YES or NO to your coaching, it usually boils down to one thing.
Trust.
And it isn't just about them trusting you…
It's about potential clients trusting that they'll actually get the solution to their problem or challenge.
Trusting that the experience will be pleasant.
And trusting that they'll have a safe space to open up about their issues.
Over the last 18+ years of coaching, I've discovered that creating that kind of trust can happen in a matter of minutes...
...and losing that trust can happen even faster.
So the challenge then is that even though you can be a 100% trustworthy person, that "trustworthiness" may not always come across in your coaching.
So what can you do to make sure it does?
When it comes to making your coaching offer, you don't have long until the prospect makes up their mind about you - whether they're right or wrong.
Here are 3 ways to build automatic trust with a potential client so you can get more Yeses for your coaching.
#1: Explain Your Coaching, So It Relates To Your Prospect
A big mistake I see coaches make all the time is explaining their coaching the wrong way.
They talk about all the accolades they have… and all the things they know.
But they don't explain their coaching so that it relates to the prospect's actual problem or challenge.
You'll want to avoid this.
Always make sure that you listen clearly to your prospects' challenges, and then explain your coaching ONLY in the context of those challenges.
I'll give you an example.
Let's say you have a client that wants to get fit for the New Year or the summer season. But for one reason or another they just can't stay disciplined enough to take the weight off and keep it off.
They tell you that their biggest challenge is sticking to their plan for more than a few days before they dive back into the junk food, and avoiding the gym.
Your next move then should be to explain your coaching in a way that speaks to those challenges your client just gave you.
You might say "I help people who want to lose weight, not only lose the weight, but to keep it off long-term using a series of simple steps and strategies that have taken me (fill in the blank) years to develop. And I also understand that temptation is a very real thing when it comes to junk food, which is why I developed an accountability system that we'll work on together for the next (fill in the blank) months."
Are you seeing the connection here between the prospect's challenges and your coaching offer?
It might even seem too simple, but you'd be surprised that the vast majority of coaches don't do this.
If you do this properly, you'll start to see a lot more clients saying YES to your coaching a lot faster.
#2: Uncover Their Challenges Quickly
Here, you'll want to discover what's holding your prospect back.
And doing this in a quick and effective way will show your prospective client that you really know what you're talking about.
And the great thing about uncovering your prospects' challenges is that you don't have to be a coaching veteran to do it quickly.
You do it by…
1. Asking good questions
2. Listening attentively while they describe their challenge or problem
3. And then showing your client immediately that you understand what they are saying by relaying the information back to them
Doing these three steps alone builds automatic trust because the prospect is going through an experience where someone is actually paying really close attention to them…
… and you'd be surprised, but when it comes to their deepest challenges, there are not many people out there that will ever give them that level of attention.
Again, if you do this from a genuine place and really seek to help people, you'll be trusted quickly and this puts you into a better position to get those "Yeses" for your coaching.
#3: Help Them Make A Decision On Your Coaching
Most of the time, you might not even need to do this because doing the above steps would have already brought you to a "YES" for your coaching…
But in some cases, prospective clients will be on the fence, and that's when you need to coach them on making a decision on whether they should move forward with you or not.
One common objection that you may hear is the "I can't afford it" or "it costs too much" objection.
A simple way to respond to this objection and build trust in the process is to say something like… "what would work for you?"
I'm not suggesting that you discount your fees all the time, but what I am suggesting, especially if you're a new coach, is to come up with options that would make things more doable for your coaching clients.
Maybe it's a slightly altered payment plan, or something else.
Whatever it is, you'll make things more manageable for your client, you'll build trust in the process of coming up with a solution, and you'll position yourself for a lot more yesses.
Let's wrap this up with a big red bow…
When you explain your coaching so it relates to your prospect, uncover their challenges quickly, and help coach them on whether they should work with you or not, you're showing that you really care and that you'd be a great coach.
Now I'd love to know...
What are your 1 or 2 big takeaways from what I just shared?
How can you apply them in your business and intro sessions right away?
Reply and let me know :) I look forward to hearing great things!
Big Love,
Christian
ps. Who else do you know is a coach and would benefit from signing up more clients? Send them a holiday gift and forward this email to them. Let's get the whole world coached!
pps. If someone forwarded this to you and you want more of it, be sure to sign up at www.christianmickelsen.com.
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